Light and Darkness
by junuca gaki
Summary: Mikan has always been embraced by light while Natsume lived in darkness. But when darkness takes Mikan, can Natsume defeat his fears to save her? Crossover with Princess Tutu.
1. lake dancer

Haha! My first Gakuen Alice fic! I know I shouldn't be doing this because I have two other fics that I haven't updated for about two months, but I just couldn't resist the temptation. I hope you don't think it's corny. On with the fic!

Note: They are on the last year of middle school, around 15 years of age, I guess.

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"It's done!"

Mikan jumped from her chair and did a little victory dance around her room. Glancing at her bedside clock, she stopped with a gasp.

"Oh, no! It's midnight! I'm sure to be late tomorrow!"

But the gloomy clouds hanging about her immediately dispersed when she looked at the gaily wrapped box on her study table.

"Oh, well. At least I finished it! I hope Hotaru likes the gift I'm going to give her for her birthday!" she said gleefully, talking to herself.

With a silly grin, Mikan recalled Hotaru telling her, "If you're thinking of giving me a gift for my birthday, you might as well give me cash. I'm sure you can't give me something I would really like." in a flat unemotional voice, as was the norm.

Mikan sat in a corner and sulked, great waterfall tears streaming from her eyes. Yuu tried his best to pacify her ("Hotaru doesn't really mean that!") while Hotaru stood beside him, contradicting everything he said ("Of course I meant it.").

After about a minute of this, Mikan jumped up and yelled "I got it!" great blinking light bulbs flashing about her head, unfortunately hitting Sumire as she tried to pass by. Mikan immediately ran from the classroom, Kokoroyomi and Ana flattening themselves against the wall lest they be ran over by Mikan's enthusiastic race to the door.

"Mikan! Get back here!" Sumire yelled at the clouds Mikan left behind, a big bump throbbing on the side of her head. "She's not listening." Hotaru murmured, while Yuu called out urgently, "Class isn't over yet, Mikan!"

Mikan winced as she remembered the blistering lecture Mr. Jinno gave her about the evils of cutting classes, the frog on his shoulder croaking in accompaniment with every scathing word. Even though Mr. Jinno wasn't in charge of their class anymore, he still gleefully anticipated every blunder she made just to scold her. And, being Mikan, blunders just seem to love her.

She shook her head to clear it of bad memories. Picking up the box, she danced around her room again, chanting "Hurray hurray for me!" It was still a week to go before Hotaru's birthday, but because Mikan was so excited about the gift, she had finished it way before the deadline, which was very unusual or her.

"I wonder what Hotaru will say when she gets my special handmade gift?" she giggled.

Her revelry stopped when she glanced out the window and saw…where was that light coming from?

Mikan stood motionless as she continued to watch the bluish white light that was coming from a spot in the middle of the Northern Forest. It seemed almost magical, flashing brightly then glowing softly at odd intervals.

A sudden thought made her race to her bed and hide under the covers. _A ghost!_ _Now I really won't get some sleep! _

"But wait…" she said out loud, rising from the bed. "Maybe it's some kind of Alice…"

The realization made Mikan sigh with relief. "That's right! It's an Alice! And I'm going to investigate!"

Armed with a jacket and a flashlight, Mikan bravely charged through the forest, muttering "I'm no scared," and "It's just an Alice," as she tried to ignore the odd noises coming from the bushes and trees.

"If I remember correctly, the light was just around…there!" she exclaimed as she ran towards the light that peeked through the thick tree trunks. What she saw there made her stop in awe.

It was a lake, and on it…

"Oh, my! He's dancing on the lake!"

A person with short white hair was gliding on the surface of the water, his moves graceful and gentle and serene. His eyes were closed, so engrossed was he in his fluid dance. He leaped and jumped, and Mikan thought he was flying before stepping gently back on the lake, his arms moving in perfect coordination.

The lake itself didn't look like a lake; it was glowing, emitting the same bluish white light she had seen from her window.

"You are…" Mikan said in an awed whisper "…so beautiful."

The lake dancer finished his dance, pausing in a final pose. Mikan could finally breathe properly. She clapped her hands delightedly, and then saw his eyes open in surprise.

"You were -- wait!" Mikan exclaimed as, with a startled look, the dancer ran to the thick foliage of the forest. She automatically ran after him, unfortunately forgetting the lakes' presence. She stumbled, and then fell headfirst into the lake with a splash.

"Oh, darn it!" she yelled, causing some birds to fly from their roost. After a few inhale-exhales, Mikan looked at the direction the lake dancer ran to.

"Who was he?"

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Review review!


	2. the search

Bwahahaha! I can finally update! Hope I don't disappoint! 

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Last chapter:

"You are…" Mikan said in an awed whisper "…so beautiful."

The lake dancer finished his dance, pausing in a final pose. Mikan could finally breathe properly. She clapped her hands delightedly, and then saw his eyes open in surprise.

"You were -- wait!" Mikan exclaimed as, with a startled look, the dancer ran to the thick foliage of the forest. She automatically ran after him, unfortunately forgetting the lakes' presence. She stumbled, and then fell headfirst into the lake with a splash.

"Oh, darn it!" she yelled, causing some birds to fly from their roost. After a few inhale-exhales, Mikan looked at the direction the lake dancer ran to.

"Who was he?"

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"He was standing like this…" Mikan said in a strained voice as she tried to stand on her tippy toes – kind of hard to do as she was wearing boots – her arms straining to gracefully arc above her head.

"And then he did…" she suddenly stopped, "Ah-ah-ahchoo!"

"Mikan!" Yuu cried out as the force of her sneeze sent her sprawling on the ground.

"I don't know if I'm going to laugh or feel sorry for her." Nonoko said wryly.

"I know exactly what you mean," Ana said with a slight smile.

"This is a waste of time." Hotaru said with a sigh.

"Hotaru, don't be so mean!" Mikan wailed, still sitting on the ground.

"What are you doing, Mikan?" Misaki asked as she walked up to the bench where they were all gathered.

"Looks like some kind of ritual dance." Tsubasa teasingly said as he strolled to stand beside Misaki.

"The only thing you're good at is wasting everyone else's time, huh, little girl?"

Mikan bristled at that familiar, derisive voice, but before she could summon a fierce enough scowl, Yuu grasped her arm to help her up. An offering hand came into her field of vision and she gratefully took it.

"Thanks, she said as she dusted her blue uniform. She smiled at her surrounding friends to let them know she was okay.

"You can let go of her hand now." Hotaru dryly told Ruka, who gave a startled yelp and, blushing, moved back to stand beside a scowling Natsume.

"You okay?" Tsubasa asked Mikan, reaching over to pat her on the head despite Natsume's intensifying scowl. "What are you guys talking about?"

"She was telling them about the guy she saw at the lake last night." Kokoroyomi cheerfully said as his head poked out of a nearby bush.

"How long have you been there?" queried Ana as Nonoko shrieked in surprise.

"A guy?" Natsume echoed.

"According to Mikan," Hotaru said as she pushed her long dark over her shoulder, "she saw this light in the Northern Forest."

"And you investigated." Tsubasa continued with certainty.

"How do you know that?" Mikan asked with delighted wonder.

"Because only an idiot like you would do that." Natsume explained rudely.

"Oh, shut up!" Mikan yelled.

"And then you saw this guy?" Misaki asked.

"Mikan said he was dancing on the lake." said Yuu.

"Dancing on the lake?" asked Ruka, startled.

"You idiot. People can't dance on lakes." Natsume said to Mikan.

"I know that! And I am not an idiot." she spat back. "I was thinking maybe he was an Alice. Wait," she blinked as a thought occurred to her. "You mean, none of you noticed anything whatsoever?"

As they mutely shook their heads, Mikan's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"I did hear something when I was working late last night." Nonoko offered.

"Yeah? What?" Mikan excitedly prodded.

"A splash, then a loud 'Darn it!'"

Mikan blushed.

"That was Mikan!" Kokoroyomi announced.

"Typical." said Natsume.

"Where is this guy now?" Ruka questioned.

"Apparently, he ran away when he noticed Mikan was there." replied Nonoko.

"You must have scared him with your ugly face."

"If you have nothing nice to say, Natsume, why don't you just shut up?"

"You're probably right." Hotaru calmly said to a smirking Natsume as Mikan fumed.

"Oh, Hotaru! Not you too!" Mikan wailed.

"If he is an Alice, he must be a Somatic type because he can dance." Yuu murmured, tapping a forefinger to his chin.

"What do you think, Ruka?" asked Ana.

"Hmm…I don't think so. I know that's usually the case but…dancing on a lake? I don't know anyone with that kind of alice."

"Maybe he's not a Somatic type." said Kokoroyomi. "He could be a robot made by a Technical type."

"No way." Mikan said with a shake of her head. "No robot can dance like that."

"What did he look like? Maybe we know who he is." Misaki offered.

"Well… he was tall, as tall as Mr. Narumi, I think. Slender and fair. I think he's about Tsubasa's age. I was too far to see his eyes, though…oh, and he had white hair."

"White hair?" Nonoko echoed.

"I'm not that old! Are you sure he's about my age?" Tsubasa sputtered.

"Yeah, "Mikan said, distractedly. "It fell in layers around his face, down to his chin."

"I don't think I know anybody with white hair." Misaki said, bewildered.

"Yeah. And we've been here for a long time." said Tsubasa as he leaned on a tree.

"Oh, that's right. You're graduating in a few months, right?" Yuu said brightly.

"Yup. We're real excited, but a little sad as well." Misaki replied.

"Despite everything, I'm going to miss this place." said Tsubasa wistfully. "Don't be sad, Mikan." He laid his hand on the younger girls' head, understanding. "It's the way things are. Hey, why don't we help you find this dancer of yours, huh?"

"You mean it?" Mikan asked brightly.

"Yeah, could be fun." agreed Kokoroyomi .

"I don't know. I have a lot of things to do…" Misaki started to say, but at Tsubasa's raised eyebrow, she hastily said, "I'm in!"

"So are we!" Ana and Nonoko said in unison.

"I could do it for 50 rabbits." Hotaru offered.

"Oh, Hotaru!" Mikan wailed once again.

"Well, we do have a lot of things to do, Mikan." Yuu explained. "We're all graduating in a few months, and Hotaru and I are part of the committee."

"Yeah, we'll be in high school in a few months!" squealed Ana.

"It's not easy being in the committee. We're in charge of the ceremony, and if it doesn't go smoothly, we'll be in trouble. We just don't have time to go around looking for an elusive dancer." Hotaru added bluntly.

"Not to mention all the paperwork." quipped Yuu.

"It's okay, I understand." Mikan said, trying to brighten up her voice. She was really sorry that Hotaru couldn't help, but she didn't want to inconvenience her best friend if she could help it.

"I'll help." Ruka said as he frowned at Hotaru. How could she choose the school over a friend?

"Really?" Mikan asked.

Ruka felt his insides melt at Mikan's bright smile. "Yeah, of course I will." he promised with a helpless smile.

"Hn. Do whatever you want." Natsume said as he walked away.

"No one asked you!" Mikan yelled. As he walked away, she whispered, "Natsume…"

"Well, who needs him!" Mikan huffed. "With all of us working together, we're sure to find that lake dancer!" she announced.

"Right!" her friends said in unison.

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Right. Forgive me for the typos. Hope to update soon. Review, review!


	3. Chapter 3

It's been…what? Six months since I last updated? Whoops…sorry. I really meant to update, but my teachers-cum-torturers are after me again. Really really sorry.

BEWARE short chapter ahead. It should have been longer, with some natsume-mikan, but I slammed headfirst into a block in the middle of it all. Sorry. (hmm.. what's my favorite word?)

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"With all of us working together, we're sure to find that lake dancer!" she announced.

"Right!" her friends said in unison.

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"Why can't we find him!"

Various birds hurriedly took flight at Mikan's frustrated wail.

Her companions could only sigh.

"Let's just go back Mikan…"Anna suggested for about the umpteenth time today, each time with varying degrees of forced pleasantness, exasperation and outright pleading. This particular plea was uttered with a long suffering sigh while said speaker clung weakly to a just-as-exhausted Nonoko.

"Where do you get the strength to suggest?" Yuu muttered, his eyelids drooping from tiredness.

"But we haven't found him yet!!" Mikan wailed, causing Anna and Nonoko to flinch and Yuu to stick a finger in his ear as Mikan hit an aggravatingly high note.

"I agree with them Mikan. We should go home now." Ruka said calmly as he let the small birds perched on his outstretched hands fly into the darkening sky.

"But I don't –"

"Don't be stupid, Mikan." Hotaru said, a hint of hoarseness in her usually flat tone betraying her rapidly decreasing patience. "We're here in the middle of the forest, cold, tired and hungry instead of indoors doing what we really want to do, and all you can think about is yourself? You are so selfish." she finished savagely.

Mikan looked reproachfully at her best friend before letting her gaze fall on her other bedraggled companions. It has a week since they started the 'Mysterious-lake-dancer-search', and the group had steadily decreased. After two days of 'roughing it', the usually laid-back Tsubasa had thrown himself into their graduation preparations with startling fervor. Misaki went with him, muttering something about making sure Tsubasa wouldn't get into and trouble.

The odd thing was, Kokoroyomi was often with them. Apparently, Koko was a big help, though with what no one really knows. The fact that the new trio would disappear or have a pressing engagement whenever Mikan would so much as look at them with that determined look in her eye should have been a hint, but Mikan (being Mikan) didn't see through the effective ploy that their other friends both hated and envied.

It seems that all of Mikan's enthusiasm and determination was no match for hunger, exhaustion and cold.

The remaining seekers, or fools as Natsume called them, didn't stay because of some misplaced sense of loyalty, oh no. Anna and Nonoko wanted to see the guy who caught Mikan's attention ("He must be REALLY cute!"). Yuu stayed only because refusal was painful ("All right! Stop screaming, Mikan!"). Ruka was there because, well, Mikan was involved. ("Of course I'll help." Blush, blush).

And Hotaru? Well, Hotaru was paid. (ka-ching, ka-ching!)

Mikan might be many things, but heartless she was not. So, with great reluctance, she declared they call it a night. The groups' relieved sigh ended in a groan however, as Mikan fervently vowed they would be back tomorrow.

As they hurried back to the Main buildings, Anna tapped Mikan and asked, "Weren't you wearing a hat a minute ago?"

"Oh no!" Mikan exclaimed, patting her exposed head. "I must have dropped it somewhere!" With that, she ran back into the forest, her pigtails bobbing wildly.

"Mikan!" Ruka called out. Before he could run after her, Hotaru latched on to his arm.

"She'll be fine. Let's wait for her in the Academy." she said calmly.

"Ruka stared at the direction Mikan ran to, then turned to Hotaru with a scowl. "But –"

FLASH

Ruka blinked rapidly to rid of the red and blue dots dancing in his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw Hotaru holding her camera.

"Gotcha." she said succinctly.

"IMAI !!"

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It's not much, but at least we all have something to go through before the year ends. Argh… I am such a sloth. I'll update…soon! Yeah. See yah!


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